I recently started watching MASH again and it inspired me to write a fic based on the show. Before starting I read some fics already written just to get a feel for the fandom. So many great stories that I have really enjoyed reading I hope you enjoy this one, it will be just a short two-chapter fic. Just want to make sure that everyone is aware that it is slash of the Charles/Hawkeye persuasion. Oh also no homophobia in this, I don't feel like any angst.
Chapter One
When Hawkeye awoke to a pounding head and a queasy feeling in his stomach it wasn't too unusual that he was overly concerned. Sure, he hadn't actually drunk anything yesterday, but it had been a busy day in the OR and he had only fallen into bed a few hours earlier. Besides, he had been feeling off for a few days now. He sat up slowly, his head pounding as he looked around, his throat was sore and his nose snuffly. BJ was still sleeping, sounding as though a chainsaw was trying to start up, Charles was no where to be seen. Hawkeye felt a twinge of worry for the other man, hoping he had managed to get some sleep last night.
He wobbled a little as he stood and slipped on a shirt and his boots, he was still in the same pants from yesterday. He hadn't eaten much yesterday with how crazy everything had been and his stomach was protesting loudly, even if logically he knew he would only be eating the usual mush.
He made his way to the mess tent finding Charles sitting with Klinger and Margaret. He stumbled toward them and collapsed onto the seat beside Charles.
"Good morning Pierce"
"Morning Hawkeye."
Hawkeye managed to mumble a quiet hello. His lack of response already earning raised eyebrows from his friends.
"You should've stayed in bed if you're still tired" Margaret admonished. "Yesterday was a big day for everyone."
"Was hungry."
As if by magic, Radar appeared with a tray of food and plonked it down in front of Hawkeye.
His previously grumbling stomach roiled as the smell of what he thinks is supposed to be scrambled eggs hits him and he has to push the tray away.
A large hand runs down his back helping to ground him.
"Pierce are you OK?" A voice asks and Hawkeye registers that it's Charles who is asking. He blinks, focusing his eyes.
"Course I am" Hawkeye says with feigned sincerity.
Margaret makes a derisive sound and reaches across the table to feel his forehead.
"You feel warm" Margaret says, and Hawkeye can see the concern in her eyes.
"Honestly, I'm fine." Hawkeye likes to think that they would have let him leave if he hadn't stumbled and fallen into Charles as he tried to get up and make a hasty escape. Luckily Charles caught him, even if it was somewhat awkwardly. The other Dr stood and pulled Hawkeye into his side, a strong arm wrapping around his waist and holding him tight.
"I think I will return him to bed. Margaret, would you meet me there?" Charles asked.
"Charles, I'm fine" Hawkeye protested as he was helped from the tent, but his legs felt weak, and he didn't try to pull away.
BJ was just getting up as they made their way into the Swamp. He jumped up when he saw Charles assisting Hawkeye.
"Hawk, what's wrong?" BJ asks, a sense of urgency to his voice.
"He's got a fever, weak and disorientated" Charles explains as he gently places Hawkeye onto his cot and pulls a blanket up over him.
"Just a cold" Hawkeye explains, trying to alleviate BJ's obvious concern.
Just then Margaret arrived, carrying a few supplies. BJ holds out his hands, but she walks to Charles instead.
Charles takes the stethoscope and the thermometer while Margaret places a cup of water on the ground next to Hawkeyes' head.
He listens to Hawkeye's chest, checks his pulse and temperature before declaring a chest infection. Hawkeye looked up at the man above him as he gently patted his arm.
"You will need antibiotics and bed rest for a few days Pierce. Do you think you will be able to keep your fluids up or should we just hook you up to an IV now?"
Charles spoke in his usual superior tone, but Hawkeye could pick up the note of fondness beneath the words.
"I'll drink anything you give me" Hawkeye said with a valiant attempt at a smirk.
"Well, let's test that shall we" Charles responded, bending down to pick up the cup Margaret had placed earlier and bringing it to Hawkeyes lips. As Hawkeye struggled a large hand gripped the base of his neck and helped him to sit up enough to take a few sips. Harsh coughs stole the breath from his lungs as he grabbed the side of his cot to try and steady himself. The hand that had been holding him up ran comfortingly down his spine until the coughs desisted.
Hawkeye laid back down with a small groan; he couldn't remember the last time he had felt so awful. BJ shimmied Charles out of the way to take his place at Hawkeyes side.
"I'll just go get the antibiotics, shall I?" Charles said with a sniff, not really expecting an answer.
"Can I get you anything Hawk?" BJ asked quietly, sitting beside his best friend.
"Nah, you know me, a bit of rest and I will be up and about in no time."
"No. No getting up and about" BJ said sternly. "It is cold, and you are sick, you are staying right here, or I will move you to post op."
"Come on Beej" Hawkeye tried to argue. "Nope. Now listen to Charles, I'm going to go get some breakfast. I will come back to check on you later."
With that BJ left, Charles walking in just before the door swung shut.
"Here, I've got you something for any pain you may be feeling as well as something for the fever and antibiotics to fight the infection. I want to see you drinking plenty of water or I will hook you up to an IV, I'm not kidding Pierce."
Hawkeye smiled at the man before him.
"Thank you, Charles," he said so sincerely that Charles looked at him in surprise and a little bit of suspicion.
"Well, you're welcome Pierce."
Charles fussed around his bed for a few minutes before pulling up a chair beside Hawkeye's bed and sitting to read his paper, occasionally throwing out a comment about some matter or another. Hawkeye found that he quite enjoyed the company, the soothing baritone of Charles voice and the drugs he had taken helping him feel more relaxed than he had since he landed in Korea.
"You don't have to keep me company" Hawkeye murmured weakly.
"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean" Charles said imperiously. "I am merely sitting here reading the paper, as I do every morning."
Hawkeye felt a smile tug at his lips as his eyes fell shut, the soothing sounds of Charles' voice drowning out any other noise and lulling him to sleep.
Hawkeye awoke to BJ but no Charles beside his bed. He rolled on his side as he stared coughing again, BJ helping him sit up as he coughed up what felt like a lung.
"Where's Charles?" Hawkeye asked as he caught his breath.
"What, my ugly mug not good enough for ya?" BJ said with a laugh.
"I think its 90% of the reason I feel sick" Hawkeye chuckled back, quickly stopping as his chest ached.
"Charles had a shift in post op, don't worry he will be back soon to check on his patient."
"Can't believe he left me in such substandard care" Hawkeye groaned.
BJ just snickered as he brought the cup of water up to Hawkeyes lips so he could have a drink.
He lay in silence for a little while.
"Sorry I'm not much of a conversationalist today."
"I knew there had to be a plus side to you being sick" BJ joked.
"You aren't upsetting my patient are you Hunnicut?" Charles asked as he walked in the door.
Hawkeyes' eyes tracked the other Dr as he made his way across the Swamp to his bedside.
"Thought you'd abandoned me" Hawkeye croaked, and Charles was smart enough to pick up the note of vulnerability amongst the words.
"No, never. Just some measly bullet wounds that had to be seen to."
BJ glanced from one to the other.
"Well, I better get over for my shift in post op, I'll be back soon Hawk, Charles."
Hawkeye waved him farewell.
"Bye Hunnicut."
"How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" Charles asked gently as he placed his hand on Hawkeye's forehead to gauge his temperature.
Hawkeye had to bite his tongue to stop from leaning into the warmth.
"I'm OK."
Charles let out a deep sigh.
"You are clearly not OK. You aren't due for any more meds yet; will you be OK for a bit longer?"
Hawkeye just nodded weakly.
"Now, in an effort to cheer you up I have procured a small gift for you" Charles said, walking over to his own cot and picking up something blue.
Hawkeye struggled to turn to see what it was, how hadn't he noticed it when Charles had walked in?
As Charles came back into view, Hawkeyes eyes widened in surprise.
"Now, I want no questions about where I got this from, but it is all yours now." Charles said, holding out a sky-blue bath robe. It looked soft and fluffy, and the colour reminded Hawkeye of Fall mornings back in Crabapple Cove.
"You got this for me?" Hawkeye asked in disbelief.
Charles cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Yes, well, I couldn't have you wallowing in self pity for days on end now, could I?"
Hawkeye reached out his hand as Charles stepped closer and tucked the new robe over his thin blankets. The robe was as soft and warm as it looked and embarrassingly Hawkeye felt tears prick his eyes.
"It's wonderful" Hawkeye whispered in awe and Charles couldn't keep the smug smile off his face.
"Now this may be a little awkward, but do you need to go to use the lavatory? You haven't gone all morning, that I'm aware of. I can go and fetch a bed pan for you if you like."
Hawkeye didn't think he would ever get over the embarrassment of having to use a bed pan in front of Charles but he knew he would need Charles' help to get to the latrines anyway so what was the difference.
"Bed pan" he croaked, and a look of surprise flittered across Charles face, before it cleared.
"Of course, I shall return momentarily."
It didn't take Charles long to get a bedpan, Hawkeye was loath to remove the blankets and his new robe but knew he didn't want to risk pissing all over them. The other man helped Hawkeye sit up, eyes fixed on the ceiling, cheeks pink as Hawkeye relieved himself. As Charles took the pan, ever the consummate professional, Hawkeye collapsed back on to his cot, exhausted from the small effort. Charles disposed of the pan before pulling the blanket and robe back over Hawkeye.
"I know you feel warm, but it is very cold, and you need to stay rugged up." Charles explained as he carefully tucked the edges around Hawkeyes' thin body.
Hawkeye didn't even complain, just snuggled in deeper, enjoying the softness of the robe against his face. The door banged open, but Hawkeye was too far gone to really register it, floating somewhere between awake and asleep.
"I'm very concerned about him" he thought he heard Charles say, though Hawkeye wasn't sure who he was talking to. "Hasn't even made a joke to me all morning."
He thought he heard another voice mumble something but by then he was already asleep.
The next time he woke up, he wasn't sure if he felt better or worse. He could tell by the angle of the light coming in the Swamp that it was nearly dawn, gosh he must've slept half a day and a whole night away. He did feel a little better though. He made to roll over but there was a hand resting on his shoulder that was preventing such movement. He squinted in the dim light to make out the shape of Charles sitting in a chair beside him, bundled up in blankets with one hand sticking out to rest on Hawkeye. Hawk felt his heart twinge, the other man must've spent the whole night there keeping an eye on him, just to make sure he was OK.
He reached out to grip Charles' large hand and found that it was ice cold, he wrapped both his hands around it and pulled it in close to his chest, trying to warm the hand without waking Charles. It felt nice to have the warmth of someone against him again, even if it was just the hand of a sleeping friend.
Little did he know that Charles was actually awake and was watching everything Hawkeye did out of the corner of his eye. His heart started racing as Hawk pulled the hand close to him and Charles did everything to slow his rapid heartbeat so that the other man wouldn't notice. After a few minutes he decided it was time to 'wake up' and let out a loud yawn and blinked his eyes open to find Hawkeyes blue pair staring back at him. He let his hand rest within Hawkeyes for a few moments longer before carefully extracting it.
Before Charles could formulate a question, Hawkeye was speaking.
"Did you stay with me all night?"
"I did. You were asleep a long time, your fever kept peaking and I was concerned about your breathing with the cool night air."
Hawkeye just nodded though some part of him felt warm and fuzzy that Charles had been so concerned about him that he hadn't left his side all night.
"I'm due in surgery in 20 minutes but BJ said he will bring you some breakfast on his way back after post-op."
Hawkeye watched the other Doctor leave and tried to convince himself that what Charles did he would do for anyone. He was an excellent Dr after all and cared a lot about his patients. Though he could admit there was a part of him that liked the idea of Charles caring about him, of Charles taking care of him.
The next few days passed along in a similar fashion. Between BJ and Charles, Hawkeye felt like he had nearly constant companionship. He could admit it felt nice to be taken care of for once.
On the fourth day he was feeling much better so graciously allowed BJ to assist him to the mess tent for breakfast. Hawkeye couldn't stop the small smile that graced his face as he saw Charles approaching with a plate of food.
"I was just on my way to bring you breakfast, are you sure you're well enough to be up and about?"
"Fit as a fiddle, though I will take the breakfast" Hawkeye quipped.
Charles nodded, placing the plate on a nearby table.
"Hawk! Great to see your feeling better" Klinger cried as he walked in for his own breakfast, Margaret beside him.
"Welcome back Pierce" she said with a smile.
"Glad to be back."
Charles had gone and collected his own food while they had been talking but looked a little unsure about where to sit.
"Come sit down, Charles, I wont bite" Hawkeye said with a grin.
Charles rolled his eyes, hesitating for a moment before following through on the request and taking a seat next to Hawkeye.
The breakfast was as horrible as always but Hawkeye found he didn't mind as much with Charles beside him. He could feel the other mans warmth radiating off him and it warmed him to his core.